Archive for the ‘The Everyman’s Tipples’ Category

Between attending 2 separate (and unequivocally delicious) food festivals, on top of our usual weekendly chores, by Sunday night I was looking for a little liquid refreshment and a well deserved wind down.

While sitting at the dinner table shucking the 2 quarts of shell peas that I’d forgotten about in the fridge and enduring the sweltering heat from a pan of oven roasted veggies destined for stock, the Everyman offered to fix me a drink that would be good for what ailed me. I didn’t know what I was in the mood for, so I just asked him to surprise me, something I’ve come to realize he is quite adept at.

The resulting cocktail was delicious, even if it did slightly look like I was drinking a mud puddle. Honestly, I think that might be part of the appeal, though.

Moreover, I’m really quite starting to like this Domaine de Canton stuff. Here’s hoping that the LCBO doesn’t delist it too soon.

This past Friday brought the first of a summer’s worth of shortened afternoons at my company.

One marked improvement over my past place of employment is the option of banking 2.5 hours during the week in order to leave 2.5 hours early each and every Friday June through September. But since the Everyman and I commute together, last year I spent most of my afternoons off shopping, running errands or checking out the local farmer’s market until he finished work.

The first one this year was true to form. After hightailing it over to the closest passport office to get myself renewed for an upcoming trip, I strolled back to the mall and made a pit stop at the LCBO. I relish a trip to our province’s liquor control board as much as I do my rare jaunts to the grocery store. Wandering aimlessly from aisle to aisle taking in the newest trends in libations, I often find myself getting inspired. Since months can go by without a visit to the liquor store, nearly every time I go I find something new.

This time was no different. Just north of the Vintages section in the cabinet full of premium spirits I found an interesting and new blend called Domaine de Canton gingerliqueur. Encased in a stylized frosted bottle reminiscent of a thick stalk of bamboo, the spicy sweet liqueur was too unique to pass up. I’m pretty sure Canton has been sold in the US for some time, but this is the first I’d ever seen or heard of it north of the border. It didn’t take me long to decide that it should come home with me too, though it squeezed out the purchase of a bottle of 3 Olives Rootbeer Vodka due to space and upper body constraints.

Once home, the Everyman and I collaborated on a drink I’ve christened The Gin-zing because the ginger-based bevy has an unexpectedly flavourful kick.(more…)

This past weekend while I was out and about, I happened to notice a wall of posters announcing the return of one of my favourite mixing tequilas to the Ontario liquor market.

Hornitos, which is made by the giant Sauza conglomerate is a better than average tequila that I fell in love with during my early 20′s. Unfortunately, several years ago the LCBO delisted it, so the only way I’ve been able to stock our bar has been to bring a few bottles back whenever we go on vacation. In a strange but unrelated coincidence, when we bought our condo back in 2007 our real estate agent (knowing I liked tequila) presented us with a bottle of Hornitos when we closed, though he’d had no clue what a fan I was of that particular variety. I also brought some back from duty free when we were in Aruba, but I’m excited to know that I’m free to bring back some of the other stuff I’ve been after (the elderflower flavoured St Germain, for instance) when we go to the US this summer.

Since I didn’t have to be as cautious with rationing the Hornitos anymore, when the Everyman asked me if I would like him to fix me a drink yesterday, I asked him to see what he could cobble together using the Hornitos and some pomegranate elderflower sparkling water he’d purchased for me the other day. The resultant cocktail is the faintly tinged, headily perfumed drink you see above. It’s a silent but deadly mix that is just the ticket for sipping on a swelteringly hot day in the sun. Be careful though, since they go down easy before you know it you could be dancing on a table.

We’re debuting a new semi-regular feature here at Foodie and the Everyman this week; one focused solely on the Everyman!

During the Everyman’s more formative years he spent time slumming and slinging drinks in a bar. Since then he’s moved on to an exciting career in plastics (ooh, ahh) but still carries with him some mixologist tendencies. Every now and then he’ll invent a new drink for me to sample, and most of the time, they’re quite delicious. Our new section is going to be called The Everyman’s Tipples, and will be a place for him to share his newest libationary creations.

Today we give you his updated version of the Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster, inspired by the Tequila Meggy from Czehoski.